Saturday, September 17, 2016

Integrating Science into Fall Teaching

Fall is a favorite season for many reasons. Mostly pumpkins and sweater weather, but also because teaching can be tons of fun during the fall. There are many fall science topics that can be covered during this season. Ranging from life cycles to photosynthesis, science can be a real treat for fall teaching. Check out a few ideas I have compiled for you to implement into your primary classrooms!

Science Topic #1: Apple Life Cycles

Teaching
the apple life cycle is very tricky for primary students because they
can't see the actual cycle happen firsthand. With technology and
informational texts, though, we can help students understand apple life
cycles.

It comes with an apple life cycle header, pumpkin life cycle header, and changing leaves header. You can gather their prior knowledge before starting this unit.

Next, bring in literature and nonfiction text to help them learn these new science topics. This book is called Fall Apples: Crisp and Juicy. It's a Cloverleaf book, which are my absolute favorite! Here is my affiliate link for this book from Amazon! Also shown in the picture is a life cycle cut and paste activity, which is included in my Fall Life Cycles science unit.

This is also included in my fall life cycles unit. They come with passages and mini books that cover the science topics, plus many follow up comprehension activities. In the picture show, you see a fold-and-go mini books with follow up questions on apple life cycles.

Science Topic #2: Pumpkin Life Cycles

Just
like with apple life cycles, pumpkin life cycles are tricky to teach
because the students can't actually see the process of a pumpkin move
from seed to pumpkin. So technology, reading passages, and other
activities will help them grasp that knowledge.

Start with a KWL chart for the pumpkin life cycle, too! This anchor chart header is a freebie for you!

Pumpkin Circle is one of my favorite texts to use when teaching the pumpkin life cycle. Here is the link to my affiliate book link for Pumpkin Circle. It's perfect when outlining the different steps and shows pictures of each step.

Just like with the apple life cycle, you need to introduce the pumpkin life cycle with lots of texts! This fall life cycles flip book covers BOTH pumpkin and apple life cycles. Students can choose apple or pumpkins page toppers. There is a passage about fall life cycles, then comprehension and science follow-up activities.

Here is the mini book for the pumpkin life cycles. It's an easier read for students who are working independently or are struggling with harder texts. It also has follow-up comprehension activities. This is also part of my fall life cycles mini unit.

Science Topic #3: Leaf Colors

Students
know that leaves are green in the summer and red, yellow, orange, and
brown in the fall. However, they can't tell us why. The science behind
leaves changing can be really fun for students to learn about...
especially when you get to teach them big science terms like
photosynthesis.

When you move on from life cycles and you start talking about the leaves changing colors, you will want to start with another KWL chart to gather prior knowledge.
This header is a freebie you can grab here!

(Source: A Little Pinch of Learning)
This science experiment would be great to teach how leaves' colors change in the fall. Check out this blogger's experiment suggestions.

There are two videos on Brain Pop Jr. that cover Fall and Plant Life Cycles. Both have information about pumpkin life cycles, apple life cycles, and leaves changing colors. Check them out!

Science Topic #4: My Senses

The
five senses may seem like a simple skill to master, but using their
five senses while learning about fall science is very important. They
are really getting involved with their learning when they use their
sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing to learn more about apples,
leaves, and pumpkins.

Start by handing students a pumpkin and an apple and allowing them to explore. You can make a class graph about what the students hear, feel, taste, see, and smell when they're exploring. Or you can allow student to write it on a paper or their own personal white boards.

This freebie graph helps bring science and math together. Students will use their taste sense to sample a few different pumpkin and apple foods, then make a class graph about which they preferred the most.
Grab that freebie here.

Science Topic #5: Experimenting
There are many manipulatives, candies, and other items you'll find for the fall season. Bring some of these fall items into the classroom. Check out a few of these experiments that other teacher bloggers have created! They use Halloween candy, fruit, and more!

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